country round. Their dress, too, was of a different fashion from that to which he was accustomed. They all stared at him with equal marks of surprise, and, whenever they cast eyes upon him, invariably stroked their chins. The constant recurrence of this gesture induced Rip, involuntarily, to do the same, when, to his astonishment, he found his beard had grown a foot long!

He had now entered the skirts of the village. A troop of strange children ran at his heels, hooting after him, and pointing at his grey beard. The dogs, too, not one of which he recognised for an old acquaintance, barked at him as he passed 94. The very village was altered; it was larger and more populous. There were rows of houses which he had never seen before, and those which had been his familiar haunts had disappeared. Strange names were over the doors strange faces at the windows everything was strange. His mind now misgave him 96; he began to doubt whether both he and the world around him were not bewitched. Surely this was his native village, which he had left but the day before! There stood the Kaatskill mountains there ran the silver Hudson at a distance

95

there was every hill and dale precisely as it had always been Rip was sorely perplexed-,,That flagon last night," thought he,,,has addled my poor head sadly!"!97.

It was with some difficulty that he found the way to his own house, which he approached with silent awe, expecting every moment to hear the shrill voice of Dame Van Winkle. He found the house gone to decay the roof fallen in, the windows shattered, and the doors off the hinges. A half-starved dog, that looked like Wolf, was skulking about it. Rip called him by name; but the cur snarled, showed his teeth, and passed on. This was an unkind cut 98 indeed ,,My very dog," sighed poor Rip,,,has forgotten me!"

94) the dogs barked at him as he passed, vergl. dazu S. 39, ZI. 15, ,,not a dog would bark at him throughout the neighbourhood“.

95) Zu strange vergl. S. 1, Anm. 4.

96) to misgive

=

in a literal but unusual sense, to give amiss; in its usual sense, followed by a noun used recíprocally, to fill with doubt, to deprive of confidence; my mind misgives me ich fange an zu zweifeln, werde verwirrt.

barren, empty)

97) to addle (Smart gibt nur das Adject. addle to make addle; to make corrupt or morbid (Webster) leer oder unfruchtbar machen, ausleeren, austrocknen, ausdörren.

=

98) cut wörtl. Hieb, Schnitt, Streich, sodann: that which wounds the feelings, as a harsh remark, or criticism, personal discourtesy, or

He entered the house, which, to tell the truth, Dame Van Winkle had always kept in neat order. It was empty, forlorn, and apparently abandoned. This desolateness overcame all his connubial fears he called loudly for his wife and children the lonely chambers rang for a moment with his voice, and then all again was silence.

He now hurried forth, and hastened to his.old resort, the village inn- but it too was gone. A large rickety 99 wooden building stood in its place, with great gaping windows, some of them broken, with old hats and petticoats stuffed into the chasms 100 and over the door was painted The Union Hotel, by Jonathan Doolittle" 101. Instead of the great tree that used to shelter the quiet little Dutch inn of yore, there now was reared a tall naked pole, with something on the top that looked like a red nightcap, and from it was fluttering a flag, on which was a singular assemblage of stars and stripes 102 all this was strange and incomprehensible. He recognised on the sign, however, the ruby face of King George, under which he had smoked so many a peaceful pipe; but even this was singularly metamorphosed 108. The red coat was changed for one of blue and buff104, a sword was held in the hand instead of a sceptre, the head was decorated with a cocked hat, and underneath was painted in large characters, GENERAL WASHINGTON.

avoidance of one's acquaintance; a slight (Webster, der hierzu unsere Stelle anführt). Vergl. Shakspere, Jul. Caesar III, 2, wo Antonius von Brutus' Dolchstoss sagt: This was the most unkindest cut of all.

99) rickety v. d. Substant. rickets (verderbt aus mlat. rachitis, frz. rachitique, rachitisme v. d. gr. gazitis Rückgratskrankheit v. gázis Rückgrat) englische Krankheit, daher zuvörderst,,mit dieser Krankheit behaftet", dann im weiteren Sinne verkrüppelt, wackelig, morsch. Vergl. in Bezug auf die Begriffsentwickelung das deutsche schwindsüchtig.

100) chasm (spr. ch chasma.

k u. das s weich) Höhlung, v. lat.-griech.

101) wörtl. Thu wenig, vergl. im Gegensatz dazu bei Shakspere Henry IV: Hostess Quickly.

102) Die Flagge der Vereinigten Staaten von Nordamerika besteht aus 7 rothen und 6 weissen horizontalen mit einander abwechselnden Streifen (13 Staaten erklärten im J. 1776 ihre Unabhängigkeit vom Mutterlande: Massachusetts, Newhampshire, Rhode-Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvanien, Virginien, Südcarolina, Newyork, Newjersey, Georgien, Nordcarolina, Maryland, Delaware); in der oberen Ecke ist ein kleines Carré mit so vielen weissen zu einem grossen Stern gruppierten Sternchen, als die Union gegenwärtig Staaten zählt (jetzt 36).

=

103) spr. metamorphosed mit scharf. s.

104) buff urspr. Büffelleder, dann von der Farbe desselben „gelb“ intermediate between light pink and light yellow.

There was, as usual, a crowd of folk about the door, but none that Rip recollected. The very character of the people seemed changed. There was a busy, bustling, disputatious tone about it, instead of the accustomed phlegm 105 and drowsy tranquillity. He looked in vain for the sage Nicholas Vedder, with his broad face, double chin, and fair long pipe, uttering clouds of tobacco smoke instead of idle speeches; or Van Bummel, the schoolmaster, doling 106 forth the contents of an ancient newspaper. In place of these, a lean bilious - looking fellow, with his pockets full of handbills, was haranguing vehemently about rights of citizens elections - members of congress liberty Bunker's-hill heroes of seventy-six 107 and other words, that were a perfect Babylonish jargon to the bewildered Van Winkle.

The appearance of Rip, with his long grizzled beard, his rusty fowling-piece, his uncouth dress, and the army of women and children that had gathered at his heels, soon attracted the attention of the tavern politicians. They crowded round him, eyeing him from head to foot with great curiosity. The orator bustled up to him, and, drawing him partly 108 aside, inquired ,,on which side he voted?" Rip stared in vacant stupidity. Another short but busy little fellow pulled him by the arm, and rising on tiptoe, inquired in his ear,,,whether he was Federal or Democrat? 109 Rip was equally at a loss to comprehend the

105) In phlegm ist das g stumm.

106) to dole (neben deal aus ags. dael, goth. dails, nhd. Theil) theilen, austheilen, mittheilen; to deal out in small portions (Webster), to distribute (Smart), nach Thieme ungebräuchlich, nach Grieb wenig oder nicht gebräuchlich; Webster und Smart sagen davon nichts; Trench (Select Glossary etc.) sagt von dole:,,This and ,,deal" are of course one and the same word, and answer the German,,Theil" a part or portion. It has now always the subaudition of a scanty portion, as „to dole" is to deal scantily and reluctantly forth.

107) Bunker's Hill, Hügel auf der nordamerikanischen Halbinsel Charlestown, bei Boston, geschichtlich denkwürdig durch die Schlacht am 16. Juni 1775, in welcher die Nordamerikaner nach tapferster Gegenwehr von den Engländern zum Rückzug gezwungen wurden. Die Helden von 1776: Am 4. Juli 1776 erklärte der nordamerikanische Congress die Unabhängigkeit der vereinigten Staaten vom Mutterlande. Diese Unabhängigkeitserklärung machte eine Versöhnung mit England unmöglich, und der Krieg wurde fortgesetzt. Am 19. April 1783 wurde zu Versailles der Friede unterzeichnet.

108) theilweise, etwas.

-

109) Féderal oder Féderalist (in der Geschichte Nord-Amerikas) a friend of the Constitution of the United States at its formation and adoption; a member of the political party which favoured the administration of President Washington (Webster). Neben dieser Partei

111

question; when a knowing self-important old gentleman, in a sharp cocked hat, made his way through the crowd, putting them to the right and left with his elbows as he passed, and, planting himself before Van Winkle, with one arm akimbo 110, the other resting on his cane, his keen eyes and sharp hat penetrating, as it were 111, into his very soul, demanded, in an austere tone,,,what brought him to the election with a gun on his shoulder, and a mob at his heels, and whether he meant to breed a riot in the village?".. ,,Alas! gentlemen," cried Rip, somewhat dismayed,,,I am a poor quiet man, a native of the place, and a loyal subject of the King, God bless him!"

Here a general shout burst from the by-standers ,,A tory! a tory! a spy! a refugee! hustle him! away with him!" It was with great difficulty that the self-important man in the cocked hat restored order; and, having assumed a tenfold austerity of brow, demanded again of the unknown culprit, what he came there for, and whom he was seeking? The poor man humbly assured him that he meant no harm, but merely came there in search of some of his neighbours, who used to keep about the tavern.

,Well who are they?

name them."

Rip bethought himself a moment, and inquired, ,,Where's Nicholas Vedder?"

There was a silence for a little while, when an old man replied, in a thin piping voice,,,Nicholas Vedder? why, he is dead and gone these eighteen years! There was a wooden tombstone in the churchyard that used to tell all about him, but that's rotten and gone too!"

,,Where's Brom Dutcher?"

,,Oh, he went off to the army in the beginning of the war; some say he was killed at the storming of Stoney

der Féderalists od. Whigs entstand eine Partei der Democraten, welche im Gegensatz zu dem Streben der Föderalisten nach einer festen Vereinigung aller Staaten und einem möglichst kräftigen Congress, möglichst grosse Unabhängigkeit der einzelnen Staaten anstrebte. Die Whigpartei überwog von jeher im Norden. Der Gegensatz wurde heftiger und der Kampf erbitterter, seit die Sclavenfrage in den Vordergrund trat. Der Norden begünstigte die Freiheit der Sclaven, und die Anti-SclavereiPartei nannte sich Republicans, als deren Candidat im J. 1861 Abraham Lincoln auf den Präsidentenstuhl kam. Vergl. Hoppe, Supplem.-Lex.

110) akimbo mit eingestemmtem Arm, aus a und kimbo, auch kimbow geschrieben, gekrümmt, und danach aus bow Biegung und celt. cam krumm erklärt. Andere verweisen auf das ital. sghembo gekrümmt, lat. scambus; doch ist das Schwinden des s auffallend.

111) as

=

as if; daher as it were = gleichsam.

Point 112

others say he was drowned in a squall at the foot

of Antony's Nose. I don't know

he never came back again."

Where's Van Bummel, the schoolmaster ?"

He went off to the wars too, was a great militia general, and is now in Congress."

Rip's heart died away at hearing of these sad changes in his home and friends, and finding himself thus alone in the world. Every answer puzzled him too, by treating of such enormous lapses of time, and of matters which he could not understand: war Stoney Point; he had no courage to ask after any more friends, but cried out in despair, ,,Does nobody here know Rip Van Winkle?"

congress

,,Oh, Rip Van Winkle!" exclaimed two or three,,,Oh, to be sure; that's Rip Van Winkle, yonder, leaning against the tree."

Rip looked, and beheld a precise counterpart of himself, as he went up the mountain: apparently as lazy, and certainly as ragged. The poor fellow was now completely confounded. He doubted his own identity, and whether he was himself or another man. In the midst of his bewilderment, the man in the cocked hat demanded who he was, and what was his name? ,God knows," exclaimed he, at his wits' end 113;,,I'm not myself - I'm somebody else that's me11 that's somebody else got into my shoes

yonder

no

I was myself last night, but I fell asleep on the mountain, and they've changed my gun, and everything's changed, and I'm changed, and I can't tell what's my name, or who I am!“

The by-standers began now to look at each other, nod, wink significantly, and tap their fingers against their foreheads. There was a whisper, also, about securing the gun, and keeping the old fellow from doing mischief, at the very suggestion of which 115 the self-important man in the cocked hat retired with some precipitation. At this critical moment a fresh comely

112) Bei Stony Point, in der Nähe des Hudson, trug Washington am 16. Juni 1779 einige Vortheile über die englischen Truppen davon und führte 543 Kriegsgefangene weg.

118) at his wits' end wörtl. am Ende seines Verstandes; etwa: ganz und gar ausser Fassung.

114) that's me yonder das dort bin ich. Die Verwendung des obliquen Casus me, thee, him, her für den Nominativ I, thou, he, she ist der französischen Weise moi, toi, lui als Nominativ zu verwenden analog und ist schon alt; im neuern Englisch beschränkt sich der Gebrauch auf die Sprache des gewöhnlichen Lebens.

115) at the very suggestion of which wörtl. bei der blossen Andeutung wovon, oder besser deutsch: bei welcher blossen Andeutung, bei welcher Andeutung schon.